New laws in New York for 2025

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — When the sun sets on 2024, the New York state government will implement several new laws. From shampoo bottles to holograms to nipple tattoos, check out a selection of what's new and taking effect right away in 2025.

As of January 1, the New York State Constitution now includes the Equal Rights Amendment, which adds to the list of classes protected from discrimination.

Minimum wage increases by $0.50—$16.50 per hour on Long Island and in New York City and Westchester County, and $15.50 in the rest of the state.

New York will now require 20 hours of paid sick leave specifically for prenatal care, separate from existing paid sick leave. Employers can't ask for private health information as a condition, and workers are protected from retaliation for using the sick leave.

Paid Family Leave benefits also increase, with eligible employees receiving up to $14,127.84 annually or $1,177.32 per week, covering 67% of wages.

S5481A/A2898A requires health insurance to cover neuropsychological tests that diagnose dyslexia.

S7114A/A6425 requires health insurance plans to cover the cost of at least two epinephrine auto-injectors (EpiPens) per year and caps the out-of-pocket cost at $100.

S6635/A5745 lets all workers—not just police, firefighters, and other emergency responders—apply for state Workers' Compensation coverage for post-traumatic stress or other "mental injury" incurred on the job.

S7676B/A8138B voids contracts that include digital replicas—like a hologram, deepfake, computer generated image, or AI rendering—of someone's voice or likeness.

S6674A/A7790A requires insurance policies to cover pasteurized donor human milk for at-risk babies who have specific medical conditions, expanding eligibility beyond inpatient use.

S543/A5082 bans hotels with under 50 rooms from using small plastic containers for personal care products like shampoo. Hotels with more than 50 rooms were already subject to this law, signed by Hochul in 2021.

S1965A/A3865A requires insurance policies with drug coverage to include prenatal vitamins when prescribed by authorized healthcare providers.

When a lease expires for a motor vehicle that's not damaged or over the mileage limit, S4778/A7167 prevents predatory charging of administrative, handling, or clerical turn-in fees.

S201/A2656 requires health insurers to let pregnant people enroll, penalty-free, during a special enrollment period, with coverage dating back to the pregnancy certification month.

S8948/A9935 requires employers to share all records and communications with employees before medical exams and provide full documentation when claiming an employee can’t do their job.

S6146A/A5729A requires insurance to cover nipple-area tattoos done by licensed medical professionals as part of breast reconstruction surgery.

Modifying election law, S5943/A725 requires ballots to list candidates in a certain order, starting with federal and statewide offices and followed by other partisan and judicial offices.

S264A/A6291A requires high-rise buildings to have an emergency evacuation plan in place for people with disabilities, with $500 penalties for non-compliance.

Starting on January 1, New York requires that insurance policies cover prescription insulin, eliminating all out-of-pocket costs like deductibles, copays, coinsurance, or other cost-sharing.

This is not an exhaustive list of every single law taking effect in New York in 2025. It's not even a full list of all the laws taking effect on January 1. Another roundup of new laws taking effect throughout the year will be available soon.